Community

This Friday, Aug. 27, at noon, we are hosting the artists Morgan Page and Dustin Rice, creators of “Bones of Texas,” a photography exhibit on display in our gallery room. The couple traveled all over the back roads of our great state, documenting the physical remnants of abandoned towns. Along with their photographs, Rice wrote several accounts about the places they visited. One such piece was about a 1939 Chrysler in Borger. Billy McNeely saved every penny he could to buy that car, five years’ worth of hard work. He painted flames on that old Chrysler himself. He loved to drag race it as often as could, showing off his skills. He parked his beloved car at his dad’s shop when he left for Vietnam. That 1939 Chrysler sits there today still, waiting for Billy to drive it once more.

Logan Gatlin, master debater and speaker, wowed us with his recent activities and accomplishments. Logan, son of Larry and Janet Gatlin and big brother of Connor, took home the GOLD at state in the Lincoln-Douglas debate at the end of May 2021 as a junior.

My husband, Peter, and I have matching folding chairs. Every Thursday evening this summer, we have attended the outdoor concert held in a local park. The music is usually good, but the food trucks are undeniably the center of the experience. Our favorite is the “Tot Boss” that sells tasty, hot tater tots out the window of the truck.

President John Haley kicked off last week’s Rotary meeting with singing, pledge and prayer accompanied by Pat Popham at the keyboard. It was the verse of two losers, as Anna drew the 6 card and Curt lost his free lunch. President Haley welcomed our guests: Elizabeth Escamilla, a guest of Wendy Wright’s, and Presbyterian Minister Kyle Segers, with Beth Briant. Rotary recently honored the Canadian ISD staff with an appreciation luncheon. We are wishing all students, teachers, and administration a safe and blessed year.

This First Baptist Church Blessing Box is part of its Love Center Mission, and is filled with non-perishable food items for anyone who is in need. It is located outside of the church in the parking lot. Blessing Box donations are also welcome, and may be dropped off at the church office during the hours of 9 am to 4 pm.

Have you heard about the orphanage that was once located in Canadian? The Panhandle Orphans Home, also called the Canadian Orphans Home, was established by the local Church of Christ on March 1, 1921.

“I’m tired of living in exile!” my husband, Peter, exclaimed as, for the second day in a row, we packed up everything we would need to be out of our home long enough for the floor to dry. Michael, the floor sander, is in our apartment now, buffing the penultimate coat of polyurethane while Peter is moaning about his exile status.

It has been a long time since anyone has appeared at The Canadian Record office carrying a photo-worthy vegetable or fruit from their garden. Joe Schaef broke the drought when he walked through the door last week to show off this 2-pound, 5-ounce onion that he had grown in the vegetable patch behind his barn out on Charlie Brown Road. Schaef admitted that, with all of the rain we’ve gotten this spring, it might actually be pretty tough to be a bad gardener. Stanley Macias would probably agree. He came in this week to place an ad for cherry tomatoes in the classifieds, saying this year’s crop produced early and often—and so plentifully he just couldn’t hardly keep up with them any longer. Macias also bragged enough about the super-hot jalapenos he’d grown that we begged him to bring us a few, and while we haven’t had a chance to sample them yet, the nose always knows when peppers are caliente, and these brought tears to our eyes. Since those two visits, we’ve been the beneficiaries of cucumbers, zucchini, and one very sweet-smelling cantaloupe, courtesy of Schaef. With rain in the forecast today and throughout the weekend, it looks like the growing season might last just a little bit longer, too. PHOTO BY LAURIE EZZELL BROWN